Word for Today, Tue, 26 Dec 2000: Relief

#1 · December 26, 2000, 9:51 am

Quote from Forum Archives on December 26, 2000, 9:51 am
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Isn't it a relief to know that God is a being that really knows
and understands our situations, not just because He knows all
things (which, of course, He does) but also because He has
experienced all things? (which, because of Jesus Christ, is also
true).

Just reliving the Advent Season, thinking about the manner in
which Jesus Christ came to earth, is a very sobering thing.
Being God, He could choose any method to come into our presence.
He could ride on the clouds, appear in a big "poof", He could
broadcast His Image on the sky, He could, in short, do anything
at all that He wants. Instead, at a very unusual time in
history, when Israel was under the rule of the Roman empire,
Jesus came to be with us in the most humble way possible. He was
likely born in a cave, called a stable, full of sheep, dust,
dirt, and dung, not a noble entry, by any means.

In life, He experienced pain, rejection, anger, tears, joy,
peace - all the things we experience. He was even rejected by
God, though not because of anything He had done, but because He
bore the full weight of OUR failures, not His own. For being in
very nature God, He had no sin in Himself, whatsoever. Just the
same, He took on our sin, and bore the full brunt of it,
including a complete rejection by His own, our Father and His,
God.

Being One with God, of course, even sin and death could not hold
Jesus down for long. Remember that Jesus conquered all of these
things - who else could possibly do that? No leader that I know
of. Who needed this kind of example? Me, that's for sure. To
all that call upon Him today, He offers everything that He took
care of. He covered the cost of our failures - our sin, He
brings us love and He brings us life.

Do you need those things today as much as I do? Read the
messages and scriptures provided below, recognizing that it is
Jesus Christ Himself who rules the earth, it is Jesus who
forgives, it is Jesus who offers us hope and a future. If you're
betting on anything else, I suggest that you instead consider the
cost, but also the joy and peace that result by placing your
complete trust in the Savior and Redeemer of the world, Jesus
Christ. My only hope is in Him, but it is a solid hope, one that
will last forever.

Brother Brian

Subject: Quiet Walk for Tuesday, December 26, 2000
From: Crosswalk.com <newsletters@crosswalk.com>

Q U I E T W A L K D E V O T I O N A L
by Walk Thru the Bible

BIBLE READING
Luke 22:39-46

OVERVIEW

Joy and pain are not mutually exclusive.

INSIGHT

The fact that Jesus has come to offer us abundant life as
well as eternal life does not mean that our lives will
always be easy. As we said, when Jesus began His
ministry, the floodgates of opposition and suffering were
opened.

The Bible records the toll these trials took on our Lord.
"Jesus wept" (John 11:35), got angry (Mark 3:5), sweated
"great drops of blood" in anguished anticipation of the
cross (Luke 22:44), and cried out on the cross, "My God,
My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34).

Beneath the trials of life are God's "everlasting arms,"
supporting us through our trials and assuring us that in
the end all will be well.

PRAYER

* We can praise God in the midst of pain:

Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great,
and Your name is great in might), Who would not fear You, O
King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For
among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their
kingdoms, There is none like You... But the Lord is the
true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At
His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not
be able to endure His indignation (Jeremiah 10:6-7,10).

* Now pray this confession to the Lord:

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your
lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender
mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly
from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I
acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always
before me (Psalm 51:1-3).

* As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's
Word:

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we
do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the
Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).

* As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

* a stronger desire to be like Christ,

* local churches across the nation.

* Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who
alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17).

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Walk Thru the
Bible. Copyright 2000 Walk Thru the Bible. All
rights reserved. See www.walkthru.org/ for more
information about Quiet Walk and other devotionals from
Walk Thru the Bible.

You can purchase the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible Hardcover and other
titles at christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors - CBD).
< shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/bible_nkj >

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >
-----------
To read the Current Feature Story from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentFeatureStory/

For today's complete News Summary from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentNewsSummary/

-----------
For Copyright Terms go to www.crosswalk.com/info/copyright

____________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO_______________________

* Copyright (c) 2000 Crosswalk.com, Inc. and its Content
Providers. All rights reserved.
* For a complete list of free email newsletters from
Crosswalk.com, go to < www.crosswalk.com/lists >
* To subscribe to this newsletter, send an email to:
< quietwalk-join@lists.crosswalk.com >.
____________________________________________________________

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
The Rules Have Changed...Get Paid to Surf the Web!
www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BKU-690

__________________________________________________
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Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Isn't it a relief to know that God is a being that really knows
and understands our situations, not just because He knows all
things (which, of course, He does) but also because He has
experienced all things? (which, because of Jesus Christ, is also
true).

Just reliving the Advent Season, thinking about the manner in
which Jesus Christ came to earth, is a very sobering thing.
Being God, He could choose any method to come into our presence.
He could ride on the clouds, appear in a big "poof", He could
broadcast His Image on the sky, He could, in short, do anything
at all that He wants. Instead, at a very unusual time in
history, when Israel was under the rule of the Roman empire,
Jesus came to be with us in the most humble way possible. He was
likely born in a cave, called a stable, full of sheep, dust,
dirt, and dung, not a noble entry, by any means.

In life, He experienced pain, rejection, anger, tears, joy,
peace - all the things we experience. He was even rejected by
God, though not because of anything He had done, but because He
bore the full weight of OUR failures, not His own. For being in
very nature God, He had no sin in Himself, whatsoever. Just the
same, He took on our sin, and bore the full brunt of it,
including a complete rejection by His own, our Father and His,
God.

Being One with God, of course, even sin and death could not hold
Jesus down for long. Remember that Jesus conquered all of these
things - who else could possibly do that? No leader that I know
of. Who needed this kind of example? Me, that's for sure. To
all that call upon Him today, He offers everything that He took
care of. He covered the cost of our failures - our sin, He
brings us love and He brings us life.

Do you need those things today as much as I do? Read the
messages and scriptures provided below, recognizing that it is
Jesus Christ Himself who rules the earth, it is Jesus who
forgives, it is Jesus who offers us hope and a future. If you're
betting on anything else, I suggest that you instead consider the
cost, but also the joy and peace that result by placing your
complete trust in the Savior and Redeemer of the world, Jesus
Christ. My only hope is in Him, but it is a solid hope, one that
will last forever.

Brother Brian

Subject: Quiet Walk for Tuesday, December 26, 2000
From: Crosswalk.com <newsletters@crosswalk.com>

Q U I E T W A L K D E V O T I O N A L
by Walk Thru the Bible

BIBLE READING
Luke 22:39-46

OVERVIEW

Joy and pain are not mutually exclusive.

INSIGHT

The fact that Jesus has come to offer us abundant life as
well as eternal life does not mean that our lives will
always be easy. As we said, when Jesus began His
ministry, the floodgates of opposition and suffering were
opened.

The Bible records the toll these trials took on our Lord.
"Jesus wept" (John 11:35), got angry (Mark 3:5), sweated
"great drops of blood" in anguished anticipation of the
cross (Luke 22:44), and cried out on the cross, "My God,
My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34).

Beneath the trials of life are God's "everlasting arms,"
supporting us through our trials and assuring us that in
the end all will be well.

PRAYER

* We can praise God in the midst of pain:

Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great,
and Your name is great in might), Who would not fear You, O
King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For
among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their
kingdoms, There is none like You... But the Lord is the
true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At
His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not
be able to endure His indignation (Jeremiah 10:6-7,10).

* Now pray this confession to the Lord:

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your
lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender
mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly
from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I
acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always
before me (Psalm 51:1-3).

* As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's
Word:

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we
do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the
Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).

* As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

* a stronger desire to be like Christ,

* local churches across the nation.

* Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who
alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17).

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Walk Thru the
Bible. Copyright 2000 Walk Thru the Bible. All
rights reserved. See http://www.walkthru.org/ for more
information about Quiet Walk and other devotionals from
Walk Thru the Bible.

You can purchase the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible Hardcover and other
titles at christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors - CBD).
< shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/bible_nkj >

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >
-----------
To read the Current Feature Story from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentFeatureStory/

For today's complete News Summary from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentNewsSummary/

-----------
For Copyright Terms go to http://www.crosswalk.com/info/copyright

____________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO_______________________

* Copyright (c) 2000 Crosswalk.com, Inc. and its Content
Providers. All rights reserved.
* For a complete list of free email newsletters from
Crosswalk.com, go to < http://www.crosswalk.com/lists >
* To subscribe to this newsletter, send an email to:
< quietwalk-join@lists.crosswalk.com >.
____________________________________________________________

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
The Rules Have Changed...Get Paid to Surf the Web!
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BKU-690

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.
shopping.yahoo.com/